Digitised Armorials

A growing number of libraries and archives place digitised versions of manuscripts with collections of coats of arms online. This provides a great possibility to look at an expanding repertoire of armorials from right behind your screen. Below you will find a list of these manuscripts, which also includes sources that might not qualify as an armorial, but do hold a considerable number of coats of arms and are therefore undoubtedly valuable for anyone interested in this topic. To access the scan, click on the web links attached to each. While we hope to provide links to all genuine digitised armorials from the Middle Ages, we still welcome suggestions on armorials that we missed. Especially with regard to later copies of medieval armorials and early modern armorials this list is definitely not exhaustive and is continuously being updated.

As many manuscripts have been subjected to additions and alterations during the Middle Ages, they cannot be fitted into a single century. These manuscripts are categorized under the century in which the oldest part was made.

13th century

London, British Library, Add Roll 77720

London, BL, Add Roll 77720

This roll, usually called the Dering Roll, after Sir Edward Dering, who acquired the roll in the 17th century. It is one of the oldest original armorials, stemming from 1270-1280. It contains 324 shields that mainly represent the knights of Kent and Sussex

The manuscript contains the entire Historia Anglorum (covering 1066-1253) and the last part of the Chronica Majora (covering 1254-1259). It is identified as an autograph of Matthew Paris (d. 1259), monk in the abbey of St. Albans. The manuscript contains coats of arms in the margins, 95 in total. It is written in the 1250s, and it is argued that Matthew Paris himself was responsible for the painting the coats of arms himself. The coats of arms refer to the persons accounted in the chronicle. Further, Matthew Paris has applied an interesting manner of heraldic communication: he inverts the arms of those who die in that part of his chronicle.

The manuscript Archives Nationales AE I 25, no. 6 (MM 684), better known as Armorial le Breton, is an armorial of which the core section dates from the late 13th century. This part contains coats of arms of French nobles. The first pages of the manuscript hold the arms of the Trojan king Priam and his 5 legitimate and 28 illigitimate sons, which is dated onthe end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century. In the 15th century, much was added to the armorial, such as the coats of arms of Christian kings, the 12 Pairs of France, the Nine Worthies and a genealogy of Hector de Flavy.

14th century

Burgos, Archivo Municipal, El libro de la Cofradía de Santiago

Burgos, Archivo Municipal, El libro de la Cofradía de Santiago. f.1v

The Libro de la Cofradía de Santiago is a Spanish armorial that presents the members of the Saint James fraternity in Burgos. 311 persons are depicted riding a horse and bearing a shield with their coat of arms. Most of the images date from the 14th century, there are however some from the 15th and 16th century as well.

The Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift, or the Codex Manesse is a collection of medieval German poetry in the first place, which contains fair amount of coats of arms. The work stems from the early 14th century, with some mid-14th century additions. The portraits of the minstrels are accompanied by their coats of arms.

This is one of the three armorials of the Bruderschaft St. Christoph auf dem Arlberg. This manuscript is often called the Tiroler Handschrift or the Codex Figdor, after the archivist who discovered this manuscript in the late 19th century. The armorial shows next to the entries the coats of arms of donators of St. Christoph auf dem Arlberg hospice in Tirol and was made between 1394 and 1407.

This is one of the three armorials of the Bruderschaft St. Christoph auf dem Arlberg. The manuscript shows next to the entries the coats of arms of donators of the St. Christoph auf dem Arlberg hospice in Tirol.

The Bellenville armorial dates from the late 14th century. Author and commissioner are unknown, but the text is written in Dutch, therefore it was probably made somewhere in the historical Netherlands. The armorial consists of two parts. The first part contains coats of arms of European nobles structured by lords. The second part seems to be a collection of occasional rolls of arms of tournaments, military campaigns or the Prussian voyages.

The Weingartner Liederhandschrift is a collection of German courtly poems accompanied by 25 miniatures. 20 of those contain coats of arms of the respective poets. This small parchment manuscript is dated on the first or second decade of the 14th century.

This is one of the three armorials of the Bruderschaft St. Christoph auf dem Arlberg. The armorial shows next to the entries the coats of arms of donators of the St. Christoph auf dem Arlberg hospice in Tirol. The first part of the armorial has been made in the late 14th and early 15th century. These are followed by additions from later centuries.

Contrary to most armorials above, the Zürcher Wappenrolle is a roll instead of a codex. The roll is painted on the front and back side and if the four parts are put together, it measures about four meter. It dates from the 1340s and contains hundreds of coats of arms, mostly from nobles from modern-day Southern Germany, Switzerland and Western Austria.

15th century

Antwerpen, Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library, B 89420 A

Antwerpen, Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library, B 89420 A, f.91v

This composite manuscript has been made by the herold Hendrik van Heesel, probably in the mid-15th century. In the manuscript, sections with coats of arms and sections with text alternate. The armorial depicts coats of arms from, among others, Austrian, Bohemian and Burgundian nobles.

At the end of this mid-15th century chronicle by Sigmund Meisterlin and continued by Hector Mülich, a small armorial is inserted from f.117r onwards. It opens with a full page coat of arms of Hector Mülich, followed by an image with the banner of Augsburg. Then are depicted the coats of arms that were painted, according to the introducing text, in a ‘trinckstübe’ in Augsburg in 1457.

The Nekrolog des Franziskanerklosters St. Anna in Bamberg was made around 1490 has continuations until 1757. It is a calendar with entries of deceased, and regularly these entries are accompanied by coats of arms.

This Matriculation Register of the Basel Rectorate has continuously been updated from 1460 onwards. It contains a considerable amount of coats of arms, most of them presenting rectors of the University of Basel.

This armorial is commonly referred to as the Berliner Wappenbuch. It consists of 134 paper folios, displaying almost a thousand coats of arms of arms of nobles from the Holy Roman Empire. Dated to around 1460, it shows some interesting similarities with the Ingeram and Haggenberg armorials.

The Grünenberg Armorial is named after its maker, Conrad Grünenberg, son of the mayor of Constance and a prominent resident of the city himself. There are various copies of this armorial, but, along with the München, BSB, cgm 145, this is considered to be the earliest version (on the different copies of Grünenberg’s armorial see the contributions on this website by Christof Rolker and Bernd Konrad). This manuscript has been produced in the 1480s and is regarded as one of the most impressive of its sort. It contains coats of arms of the European nobility, imaginary coats of arms of pagan nobility and a section dedicated to tournament societies in late 15th century southern Germany.

This manuscript holds the Excellente Cronike van Vlaenderen, a chronicle of Flanders. The Excellente Cronike van Vlaenderen is an edition and translation of the Flandria Generosa by Anthonis de Roovere from Bruges (ca. 1430-1482). This is paper copy from the late 15th century. It presents a considerable number of coats of arms in between the text and in miniatures.

This manuscript contains a copy of book IV of Jan van Boendale’s Brabantsche Yeesten (chronicles of Brabant). It is probably produced in the mid-15th century. The highlights of this manuscript are sixty-nine miniatures, and in many of them coats of arms (on shields, but also clothing and other media) play an important part.

This armorial dates from the beginning of the 15th century and it depicts coats of arms of nobles mainly from Northern France and modern-day Belgium. It opens with the coats of arms of the Burgundian duke Philip the Bold. There is no modern edition of this armorial yet.

Weblink: The manuscript is taken offline temporarily. We will provide the weblink as soon as the manuscript is back online.

The Armorial Beyeren has been made by the herald Claes Heyenensoen, who was also the maker of the Gelre Armorial. The manuscript is written in Dutch and was probalby finished in 1405. The manuscript consists of five different sections: the participants of a tournament in Compiègne in 1238, the participants of a tournament in Mons in 1310, the participant of a military expedition against the Frisians in 1396, the participants of the siege of Gorinchem in 1402 and, curiously, a list of the ‘three best’ persons carrying a certain name, e.g. the three best Williams.

This relatively unknown manuscript is a late 15th century armorial, with some 16th century additions. Its stems from Northern France or the Southern Netherlands. The coats of arms are painted and blazoned.

The armorial displays the ancestors of count Engelbrecht II of Nassau (1451-1504), of both the paternal and maternal side. Engelbrecht was a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and powerful nobleman in the Low Countries. The coats of arms (one on each folio) represent the ancestors of the last 200 years. Remarkably, some of these alleged ancestors cannot be connected to Engelbrecht’s lineage, such as the kings of England and Scotland. Was his lineage embellished to increase his status?

There are two full page pictures of the same herald in the manuscript. He walks, lifts is hat, and wears a tabard with the coat of arms of Engelbrecht II of Nassau. It is therefore assumed that the manuscript was made by a herald in his service. It is dated to ca. 1490.

The Kattendijke Kroniek is a chronicle that mainly deals with the history of Holland and Utrecht. It is dated to the early 1490s. It features a large number of coats of arms on shields and banners in miniatures or integrated into the text.

This is a French copy of the Beyeren armorial (Den Haag, KB, 79 K 21, see above), displaying the participants of the tournaments of Compiègne, Mons, and the military expeditions of the count of Holland in Kuinre and Gorinchem. It also includes the “three best” exponents of each name. The manuscript is dated to the late fifteenth century.

This is an illustrated copy of the Excellente Cronike van Vlaenderen, a chronicle of Flanders. The manuscript is dated on the late 15th century. Its most striking element is a series of rulers over Flanders, with their coats of arms. The website of the Bibliothèque virtuelle des manuscrits médiévaux only displays the pictures with coats of arms.

This manuscript holds one of the earliest versions of Ulrich Füetrer’s Bayerische Chronik produced in 1478, and a series of portraits of Bavarian princes with verses and coats of arms. This section with the portraits and arms is probably of a slightly later date (based on the watermarks ca. 1480s) and stands in close relation to a later version of Füetrer’s chronicle.

This manuscript contains the statutes of the Order of the Golden Fleece and lists its members. The knights of the order are presented with their coats of arms from p. 139 onwards. This part is structured by the chapters of the order at which new members were admitted. The manuscript was probably produced in the late 15th century and parts were added in the 16th century.

The manuscript Banderia Prutenorum represents the banners of Teutonic knights who were defeated by Polish and Lithuanian forces at Tannenberg in 1410. In total, 56 banners, of which the last 10 are later additions, are depicted. The armorial is part of Jan Dlogosz’s chronicle and the coats of arms have been painted by Stanislaw Durink, who executed this work in the mid-15th century.

The manuscript probably dates from 1460s, with continuations throughout the following decades. The work is known as the herald’s book of the Order of St. Hubert, established by the Duke of Jülich-Berg in 1444. The armorial presents among others coats of arms of European nobility and contains a large section with coats of arms of person’s ancestors.

The Rous Roll, named after his maker John Rous, is a roll containing short biographies of more that 50 persons. Their portrets are pen-drawn, and accompanied by their painted coats of arms. The roll dates from 1483.

The Rous Roll / John Rous (Gloucester, 1979) (Reprint of H.G. Bohn’s 1859 edition with an introduction by Charles Ross)

D. Griffith, ‘Owners and Copyists of John Rous’ Armorial Rolls’ in: Wendy Scase ed., Essays in Manuscript Geography. Vernacular Manuscripts of the English West Midlands from the conquest to the Sixteenth Century (Turnhout, 2007) pp. 203-228.

London, British Library, Harley 4205

London, BL, Harley 4205 f.19v

This manuscript is known as the Sir Thomas Holme’s Book of Arms. It is named after Thomas Holmes, who was Clarenceux King of Arms in the late 15th century, but it is unclear who were the authors of the various parts of this work. The first part contains verses on the Kings of England, who are depicted in a tabard with their coat of arms. The second part presents charging knights on their horses. Their blasons are depicted on their clothing and horses. The third part, known as Legh’s Men of Arms, contains armoured knights holding a banner.

William Bruges’ Garter Book displays the coats of arms of the Knights of the Order of the Garter, which was established in 1348 by King Edward III. It dates from the 1430s or 1440s and it was made for William Bruges, Garter King of Arms. This is the first armorial of the Order of the Garter.

This manuscript has been made in 1416/1418 by a Portuguese herald, attending the Council of Constance. Contrary to most armorials, this manuscript is written in Latin. It holds 25 banners and multiple small collections of coats of arms, each containing two to several dozen coats of arms.

This manuscript is generally called the Gossembrot armorial. It dates from 1469. Gossembrot was a a prominent patrician in the city of Augsburg. The manuscript contains coats of arms of Augsburgian families and Gossembrot’s relatives. Furthermore, it holds a section with blazoned versions of the presented coats of arms. There is no modern edition of this armorial.

The Grünenberg Armorial is named after its maker, Conrad Grünenberg, son of the mayor of Constance and a prominent resident of the city himself. There are various copies of this armorial, but, along with the Berlin, Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz, VIII. HA II, Nr. 21, this is considered to be the earliest version (on the different copies of Grünenberg’s armorial see the contributions on this website by Christof Rolker and Bernd Konrad). This manuscript has been produced in the 1480s and is regarded as one of the most impressive of its sort. It contains coats of arms of the European nobility, imaginary coats of arms and a section dedicated to the various tournament societies in late 15th century southern Germany.

This 17th century collection by Johann Gottfried von Redinghoven contains a section that is called armorial Redinghoven, a manuscript from the 1440s (f.295-f.316). It presents coats of arms from German noblemen, but a few rows with arms of European kingsare also included.

In the 16th century, a man named Jobst Walther sent this armorial from Barcelona to Jakob Fugger in Augsburg, and thus this Spanish manuscript ended up in a German library. The full title of this armorial is: Armas de los Condes, Vescondes, Vervefores, marqueses, barones etc. de Cataluña, de Castilla, de Portugal, de Navarra y de Aragon y de Valencia con las rentas que cada uno tiene. It contains coats of arms of Spanish and Portuguese noblemen. The armorial stems from the second half of the 15th or the first half of the 16th century.

München BSB cod. icon. 308 is also known as the Wernigeroder (after the town were it was kept in the library) or the Schaffenhausen (the familiy that owned the armorial around 1600) armorial. The manuscript was made in the last quarter of the 15th century. It shows some interesting imaginary coats of arms such as the Trinity symbol and the Arma Christi. Further, it holds arms from kings and nobles throughout Europe, with a special focus on southern German nobility.

The BSB, Cod. icon. 308 is also known as the Ortenburger armorial, named after the first known possessor in the 16th century, Joachim von Ortenburg. It dates from the 1460s and it contains among others coats of arms of German princes, counts and bishops.

BSB, cod. icon. 309 is a little studied armorial that dates from the late 15th or the first half of the 16th century. It has probably been made in the south of Germany and it presents the coats of arms of the southern German and Austrian nobility.

This armorial is little studied. It dates from the 1490s and contains, interestingly, two images of the herald Anton Tirol. The armorial presents a collection of coats of arms of from Austria, Burgundy, France as well as the Quaternionen and a text on the origin of heralds.

BSB cod. icon. 311 consists of different parts. The first few pages are probably from Augsburg and stem from the last quarter of the 15th century. The main part of the armorial, however, dates from the 16th century, also from Southern Germany. It depicts coats of arms of German nobles.

This armorial is better known as the Scheibler’sches armorial. It dates from the mid 15th century, but it contains an elaborate 17th century addition as well. Mainly German, Dutch and Austrian nobles are represented, whose coats of arms fill the entire page.

This armorial is most often called the Bruderschaftsbuch des jülich-bergischen Hubertusordens. It presents the coats of arms of the members of knightly order of Saint-Hubert. This order was established in 1444 by the duke of Jülich-Berg. The manuscript was probably made in the second half of the 15th century.

A few pages in the chronicle of Cologne have the characteristics of an armorial. The author of this chronicle is unknown, but we do know the name of printer: Johann Koelhoff the Younger, who printed this book in 1499.

This manuscript, written in Latin and English, is a heraldic treatise from the second half of the 15th century. At first glance it appears to be for educational or reference purposes, since the texts seem to indicate the names of charges and figures in the coats of arms.

Armorial Toison d’Or is an institutional armorial. In this case, the institution for which the armorial was produced was the famed Order of the Golden Fleece, established in 1430 by Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy. The manuscript was made in the late 1440s, depicting coats of arms of members of the order as well as of other European nobles. The manuscript is well known for its portraits of mounted kings and high nobles. The first weblink below links to a special presentation of parts of the manuscript with an introduction on the website of the BnF , the second links to a scan of the entire manuscript on Gallica

This armorial is often called the armorial of the héraut Vermandois. The manuscript, produced in the 15th century, is generally acknowledged to be a copy of a late 13th century original. The coats of arms in this armorial are not painted, but blazoned.

The manuscript BnF, ms. fr. 4985, better known of the Armorial of the Heraut Berry, dates from the mid-15th century. It was made by Gilles de Bouvier, who was king of Arms of France during the reign of Charles VII. Besides coats of arms, who are mainly structured by marches d’armes, the armorial also holds portraits of mounted knights. In its current state the manuscript is somewhat disordered.

This manuscript dates from the late 15th century. It appears to be a heraldic treatise, with a collection of coats of arms on f.10v-f.29v. On one of the first pages the French king is depicted, encircled by the coats of arms of high French nobles.

This manuscript, containing the Argentaye tract, holds a short painted collection of coats of arms and from f.61r-f.70v a blazoned one. It dates from the late 15th century. The Brittany part of the blazoned collection has been edited.

The manuscript ms. BnF. 18651 is generally called the Armorial Coislin Séguier. It originates from Lotharingia and dates from the mid-15th century. It depicts coats of arms of nobles all over Europe, with a special focus on the French nobility. There is no modern edition of this armorial.

The manuscript BnF, ms. fr. 22297 dates from the 1450s and was made by Guillaume Revel, herald Auvergne during the reign of Charles VII. This armorial is quite unique, for it only represents the coats of arms of the nobles of three regions: Auvergne, Bourbonnais and Forez. These regions were in possession of Charles I of Bourbon and the armorial was dedicated to his memory. Besides coats of arms, the amorial contains many detailed views of towns and castles in these areas. Guillaume Revel apparently did not get the opportunity to complete his armorial, for only about 25% of the drawn shields have actually been painted with a coat of arms.

This 17th century volume, with some copies by François Roger de Gaignières, also contains of what seems to be an original 15th century heraldic treatise (f.128-f.140). After some coats of arms that appear to serve as an educational example, the arms of some European kings and dukes are presented.

This late-15th– century manuscript is a copy of the genealogy of Pierre of Luxembourg and his wife Marguerite des Baux. The explicit states it was made in 1471, but it probably concerns a slightly later copy of the original (Paris, BnF, ms. fr. 5471). The texts in which the ancestors are described are accompanied by their coats of arms.

This copy of the Livre du coeur d’amour épris by René d’Anjou is a luxurious parchment manuscript with a large number of miniatures. It dates from the 1460s-1480s. One series depict a scene where great historical leaders are commemorated, and their coats of arms are depicted on the miniatures.

Jean de Bueil’s semi-autobiographic novel about his experiences in the Hundred Years War contains an armorial of around 50 pages. His manuscript dates from the 1460s. The collection of coats of arms contains among others imaginary coats of arms, arms of the European kings and French nobles.

This armorial is often reffered to as the armorial of the herald of Navarra, although it is definitely not certain that the herald of Navarra was actually the compiler of this work. The original dates from the late 14th century, but has been lost. This copy of this digitized version dates from the 15th century and holds coats of arms of the French royal family and other French nobles, plus some European kings. There is no modern edition of this armorial.

This roll is a textual and pictorial genealogy and holds a number of prominently placed coats of arms. This richly decorated roll shows the genealogy of Edward IV (1442-1483), who became the first Yorkist king of England in 1461.

This manuscript is a copy of Ulrich Richental’s Chronicle of the Council of Constance. This copy was made in Gebhard Dacher’s workshop and is dated on 1464. Remarkably, the text and images are separated in this manuscript. The armorial can be found in the back of the codex.
For more on the Richental’s chronicle and armorial see the articles by Christof Rolker and Tina Raddatz on Heraldica Nova.

Steen Clemmensen, Arms and people in Ulrich Richental’s Chronik des Konzils zu Konstanz 1414-1418 (2011). Online introduction and edition, which can be accessed through this link

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 646

Sankt Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, cod. sang. 646, f.41v

This paper manuscript containing the Konstanzer Weltchronik by Gebhard Dacher is an autograph written in the 1460s/1470s in Constance. The text is accompanied by a considerable number of coats of arms.

See Klaus Graf’s blogpost for a critique on this study and further references

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1084

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1084 p.1

This copy of the St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1084 is also known the Armorial of Hans Haggenberg, since it is stated in the introductury text that he has worked on the manuscript. These are however probably only the additions. The armorial dates from the second half of the 15th century, with later additions. It contains coats of arms of high imperial nobility, German nobles, bishops, the and some imaginary arms.

This fascinating parchment manuscript contains over 3000 coats of arms, displaying first European high nobles by rank, and then nobles by political entities, with a focus on the Holy Roman Empire, France, and England. It is dated to the mid-15th century and it is assumed to have been made in the Southern Netherlands. Regrettably, nothing is known about the maker and context of use. An interesting aspect of this armorial are a handful of heraldic displays of ancestors of a number of rulers at the beginning of some segments (see image). The coat of arms of the ruler in question is in the center, surrounded by those of his four ancestors (parents and two grandmothers). Such displays are also in the Lyncenich armorial. Indeed, there are some striking similarities between this armorial and others, most notably the Gelre, Lyncenich and Toison d’Or armorials. On these complex relations see Steen Clemmensen’s Editing armorials (p. 81-97).

This Armorial is also known as Hans Ingerams armorial, named after the persevant of the tournament Society ‘Zum Esel’ who was the main artist producing this armorial. It probably dates from the 1450s. The focus is on Austrian nobles and members of tournament societies.

This manuscript shows the genealogy of Philip the Upright, the elector Palatine of the Rhine. In the foreword is stated that, probably, Herman von Brüninghausen wrote this work in 1481. The ancestors are portrayed mounted on a horse wearing armor.

This manuscript is a copy of Ulrich Richental’s Chronicle of the Council of Constance. It was probably produced in Constance around 1475. It is part of a composite manuscript, the Richental’s chronicle can be found on f. 26r-244r.

For more on the Richental’s chronicle and armorial see the articles by Christof Rolker and Tina Raddatz on Heraldica Nova.

Tina Raddatz, Wappenbuch Richental VII: Die Wiener Handschrift, Blogpost on Heraldica Nova which can be accessed through this link.

Steen Clemmensen, Arms and people in Ulrich Richental’s Chronik des Konzils zu Konstanz 1414-1418 (2011). Online introduction and edition, which can be accessed through this link

Zürich, Zentralbibliothek, MS A 75

Zürich, Zentralbibliothek, MS A 75, p. 421

This manuscript holds the Zürcher- und Schweizerchronik by Gerold Edlibach. Edlibach was a writer and member of the city council of Zürich. He has written this Swiss and Zürich chronicle in 1485/86. The autograph holds a large amount of miniatures, many of which present coats of arms on coats of arms and banners. Furthermore, in the back of the manuscript there are a couple of folios with a small collection of Swiss coats of arms.

The Jahrzeitbuch (anniversary) of Uster is a calendar with entries of deceased on the dates they passed away. A considerable number of entries are accompanied by a coats of arms. This anniversary was probably a compilation of older copies and was made between 1469 and 1473, but also includes later entries.

The Chronicle of Reichenau, written by chaplain Gallus Öhem, starts with an armorial. The armorial presents the abbots of the abbey from its establishment to the time of witing, other clergymen and arms of nobles. The manuscript dates from the early 16th century.

This armorial was made by Virgil Solis, an artist from Nürnberg, in 1555. It is hierarchally structured, containing coats of arms of kings, dukes, counts etc., plus the quaternions and coats of arms of cardinals and bishops.

This manuscript presents a large number of coats of arms, around 1300, with an emphasis on southern Germany. According to the, probably not original, title inscription, it was made by the painter Nikolaus Bertschi (ca. 1480-1542) in Augsburg in 1515. The work was continued by others in the same and subsequent centuries.

This work is titled the Hofkleiderbuch of dukes William IV and Albert V, but contains more than that: a variety of coats of arms, from imaginary arms to southern German nobles and series of princes. It stems from Bavaria and was made in the 16th century.

This 16th-century manuscript displays portraits and coats of arms of Bavarian and Guelph princes. The second part (with the Guelph princes) shows large similarities with the manuscript Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, cod. hist. qt. 584, which is also in the Digitised Armorials list.

This is the family book of the prominent Fugger family from Augsburg. Hans Jakob Fugger commissioned the work. It was written by the historian Clemens Jäger and produced in the workshop of Jörg Breus the Younger between 1542 and 1548. The manuscript holds a large amount of coats of arms of the Fugger family.

This armorial, commonly known as Armorial de Nicolas de Lutzelbourg, has been made in the 16th century for Nicolas de Lutzelbourg (ca. 1485-1547), lord of Fléville. The coats of arms of many nobles from medieval Western Europe are presented, categorized into so called ‘marches d´armes’ or provinces of arms.

Steen Clemmensen, An introduction to and blazons of Armorial dit de Nicolas de Lutzelbourg (Farum 2013) (accessible online)

New Haven, Yale University Library, Beinecke ms. 648

New Haven, Yale University Library, Beinecke ms. 648, f.8v

The manuscript Beinecke, ms. 648 was in the possession and partly produced by the scribe Jean Faucquet. The collection of coats of arms is part of a herold’s compendium. It was probably made around 1500. For more information on the manuscritpt see here, for more information about Faucquet see here.

This piece of parchment from the early 16th century describes the entries of the Hungarian Queen Anne de Foix in Italy in 1502. The description is accompanied by small collections of coats of arms. The maker of the manuscript was Pierre Choque. Unfortunately, only a black/white scan is available.

This luxurious manuscript is usually called the Weingartner Stifterbüchlein. It contains a history of the Guelph family (and a bit of the Staufer), as the founders of the Weingarten monastery in southern Germany, illustrated by large portraits with coats of arms. The manuscript was probably produced around 1510.

This manuscript from the 16th century holds a Catalan armorial. It contains a heraldic part focusing on charges and ordinaries, and sections with coats of arms of among others the Nine Worthies, Christian Kings, and high nobles.

This manuscript is one of the several armorials made by Vigil Raber from Southern Tirol. He was a 16th century painter, collector of theater pieces and, as he declared himself in a text in this armorial, a “liebhaber und erkundiger der wappen” (online transcription here). The same text dates this manuscript on 1548 and Vigil stated that for his armorial he copied coats of arms of five armorials of the Bruderschaft St. Christoph auf dem Arlberg (of which only three remain, see the digitized copies in this list).

Weblink: There are two sites where you can see the digitised manuscripts

Harwick W. Arch, Vigil Rabers Sterzinger Wappenbuchl, Nearchos. Beiheft 5 (1999) (Attention, this is not an edition of this manuscript, but of the Sterzinger manuscript by Vigil Raber, which is however quite similar to this one and to which Arch also refers in this text. Available online.)

Wien, Kunsthistorisches Museum, KK 5333

Wien, Kunsthistorisches Museum, KK 5333

The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna houses a roll of arms, depicting 39 European kings and dukes. They are presented with a full portrait and with their coats of arms. The roll dates from 1512/1513 and was made in Jörg Kölderers workshop.

Hermann Botes Schichtbuch, produced in the 1510s, contains a rarely researched elaborate armorial in the last section of the manuscript. The armorial holds a wide range of coats of arms, including those of the Hanse Kontors, cities that were members of the Hanseatic League, Saxonian nobles and inhabitants of Braunschweig, where the armorial was very probably produced. Furthermore, the manuscript describes some legends on the development of Saxonian coats of arms, accompanied by the coats of arms in question. For more information, see the blogpost on this armorial.

Dear Torsten, Have you thought about including the facsimile edition of the ‘Van den Ersten’ armorial? It is now available online through the UB Düsseldorf (http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/content/titleinfo/1076284). I don’t see this armorial mentioned very often, probably because it has been destroyd in the war (at least according to Neubecker) and because the facsimile edition itself is very rare. Best, Godfried

Dear Godfried, thank you for your comment. Indeed, the “Van den Ersten” armorial is rarely mentioned in the literature and I am not aware of any detailed discussions on it. This blog applies a critical cultural-historical approach to medieval and early modern heraldry and for this it is crucial to focus on the actual material sources and place these in their contexts. In alignment with this approach, we only include digitizations of medieval and early modern manuscripts in the list. The relation between 19th and 20th century facsimiles and the original manuscripts can be problematic, as Christof Rolker’s showed in his interesting review article on the facsimiles and editions of Conrad Grünenberg’s armorial: Christof Rolker: “Das Wappenbuch des Konrad Grünenberg. Acta et agenda.” Zeitschrift für die Geschichte des Oberrheins 162 (2014): 191–207.

It is difficult to keep abreast of all the armorials being mentioned, digitized, commented and edited – and more so on what they contain and how they are related. Let me just mention a few items, which caught my attention.
The Vermandois, BnF, fr.2249 was recently edited by Emmanuel de Boos for Leopard d’or, Paris 2015 (rather nicely); BnF, fr.5240 is said to derive from the Berry (BnF, fr.4985); Virgil Solis Wappenbuchlein, Heidelberg UB, 82AQ10094 RES in a nice coloured version, also reprinted in B/W line, is a partial copy of the Richental Constance Council chronicle; For the Lutzelburg, Nancy ms.1727, there is a rudimentary transcription and identification online at http://www.armorial.dk/french/Lutzelbourg.pdf – it has a copy in BnF, fr.23076:2r-141v, which are followed by 2 fragments of lorranian arms. Both are in part derived from the Toison dor / Golden Fleece armorial and the Jean Haraucourt armorial (in Nancy, Musee Lorrain) edited by Jean Christophe Blanchard in Lotharingia 10 (2001) 81-125 – to my knowledge not digitized.

Is there a different or complete version of the Hector Le Breton armorial mentioned above? I am researching Scottish coat of arms, which refer to this armorial regularly. There is even a comparison between this armorial and the Dunvegan Armorial, with numerous Scottish coat of arms. Thanks.

Dear Jon, the version of the Breton armorial in this list is the original manuscript. I am not aware of any other copies, but you could check Emmanuel de Boos’s edition to be certain. Good luck with your research on Scottish coats of arms!

Thank you for your comment. This armorial is already in the list, but your extra references are very welcome.

With regard to the dating of this manuscript, there are several dates in the armorial. On f.127v one can find the note: “Jn den jaren m iiijc ind lxxx jair ist dit gemagt ouermitz herman von brunchoffen (?) conynck der wappery”, which would indeed imply that the manuscript was made in 1480.

However, on many places between the coats of arms notes as the following can be found:”Dyt sint iiij aynchen her johans huysvrau van vranckenburch gemaicht inden jaren lxij” (f.58r), which suggests that this entry dates from 1462. There are more entries with different dates in the manuscript, so it was probably continuously used and updated throughout a period of several decades. For more on the dating and for further references see:
– http://archiv.twoday.net/stories/96991398/
– Leonie Gräfin von Nesselrode, “Neue Erkenntnisse zum Heroldsbuch und Bruderschaftsbuch des jülisch-bergischen Hubertusordens”, Jahrbuch für westdeutsche Landesgeschichte 36 (2010) p.131-162

An important correction to the first item on the list: our library has recently (2008) changed its name to Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library (in Dutch: Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience). The link to the digital version has also changed, it is now which should be a permalink. You can now leaf through the manuscript in our digital platform, or download it in pdf format.

Dear Heraldic Nova Team,
As someone currently studying the manuscript Harley 4205, or “Sir Thomas Holme’s Book of Arms,” I noted a few mistakes in your short description.
I can tell you that, despite the title, it was not written by Sir Thomas Holme. This title comes from Holme’s arms, which can be found on f. i(g)r. Actually, the three parts of the manuscript were likely illustrated by three different hands and there is no evidence to suggest that Holme was one of said hands. As well, you say Holme was Clarenceux King of Arms in the mid-15th century when he was clearly late-15th century (1476-1493). He may have been confused with that of Roger Legh, who held the same position from 1435-1460, and there does exist some evidence that he may have illustrated part of the manuscript.
Finally, you only mention two parts, when there is a third filled with leaves of single knights.
Cheers,
Danielle

Dear Danielle, thank you very much for your helpful comments. We will change that in the short description above.
You seem to have a deeper knowledge of this very interesting manuscript. Would you fancy to write a little blogpost on it? As you know, armorial manuscripts are little studied and often misunderstood. Though often a closer look can be very instructive and reveal insights going far beyond heraldry itself. The Harley 4205 with its three parts seems to be very promising in this perspective. I would be very glad to learn more about this manuscript!
Torsten

Hello Torsten,
I agree with what you have said about Harley 4205 and would be delighted to write a blogpost. Actually, I am currently writing my MA thesis on this manuscript, which will focus not only on its heraldic features but its implications concerning manuscript and digital cultures. As such, I am a little limited on time but would still be able to find some for a blogpost.
Thanks for the changes, Elmar!
Cheers,
Danielle

I want to thank everybody responding to this list of digitised armorials on the various media. Your comments led to the addition of over 20 armorials in the last few months. Please continue sending us links of digitised medieval armorials. Your hints are very helpful.

[…] armorials, in which each time a manuscript from the digitized armorials list will be highlighted (click here for the list). The armorial will not be treated in full, but specific aspects, problems or ideas will be […]

The collaborative blog Heraldica Nova is an initiative of the Dilthey-Project ‘Die Performanz der Wappen’ (University of Münster) which aims to study medieval and early modern heraldry from the perspective of cultural history. Read more ...